Helping Kids Adjust to Siblings

The Beginning of a New JourneyBeing an only child rocks. Only children often receive the most focus, especially for new parents. They get all the love and attention at home, free reign over the backseat for car rides, and so much more.One day however, they might be told to expect a new little brother or sister. For some, this might be met with joy and excitement,&nbsp; for others, not so much. Whenever a new bundle of joy finally arrives, the world is never the same for your first child. All your attention and time spent with a new infant can create some doubt, and can even lead to confusion.Adapting to new changes can be challenging for older children. It’s common for them to feel jealous towards the newborn, and they might act out in unpleasant ways in a desperate attempt to get back the love and attention of parents and other family members.If you’ve experienced it or seen other parents go through it, the elder child even questions you about the sudden shift in your love and attention directed towards the baby. Convincing your older child isn’t easy as it seems, and it takes a lot of patience with an empathetic approach to make them understand your undivided love and concern for the family’s welfare.Tips to Help Older Children Welcome a New SiblingIt’s vital to adopt evidence-based strategies to ensure continued love and attention for your older child while making time to care for your newborn. These strategies will help your kids develop a strong bond with loads of love and understanding post the initial hiccups.Before the arrival of the newborn<ul><li>Talk to your only child about the sibling and ask them questions they’re capable of answering</li><li>Let them know about the things that will change</li><li>Explain how you took care of them when they were infants and then tell them the new baby needs the same care and attention</li><li>Encourage your only child to choose toys and clothes for the new sibling</li><li>Create a fun story about the sibling-to-be and share your excitement</li><li>You can talk about how things were when you got new siblings if you have any</li></ul>After the arrival of the newborn<ul><li>Involve your older child in caring for the baby and make them feel special for giving a helping hand</li><li>Encourage the older child to follow a storytime and let him/her read a favorite book to the baby. It gives them ample time to develop an everlasting bond</li><li>Make a one-on-one time with your older child regularly to reinforce the bond and faith</li><li>Always acknowledge the older child’s feelings</li><li>Reward your big child for accomplishing something or for helping you take care of the baby</li></ul>Other Top StrategiesYou can ensure a smooth transition from pregnancy to parenthood by following these tips along with the previous guidelines:Make space for feelingsAt the outset, understand that it's completely normal for older kids to have a degree of jealousy towards the newborn. It’s also common for older kids to say they hate the baby and wish the newborn went back where it came from, and you have a heavy heart with disappointment. Relax and allow space for everyone’s feelings. Ensure you create a safe and favorable home environment to allow easy discussion of feelings. It makes the recovery process much faster and helps avoid unnecessary rivalry among your children.Give older children some time to acclimateYour older child will eventually understand and learn to adjust to the new sibling. It all depends on the way you handle the situation and talk to your kids. Know that each child is unique, and your older child will navigate the situation sooner or later. It all happens with your acceptance, understanding, and support. Expect negative emotions during the initial process of the infant’s growth and development. As time advances, you’ll start seeing more favorable times where your older child will interact with the younger sibling in positive ways.Address physical aggression calmlyIt may be frustrating, and it can be tempting to hit or use other physical punishment for an older child who displays physical aggression towards the toddler. However, understand that toddlers don’t know how to respond to aggressive actions, and that older siblings often have poor impulse control. It can cause an aggressive reaction from your end that only damages the situation.Instead, intervene calmly and keep in mind that all this is a normal response from your elder child. Remain grounded and be present in the current moment to control the situation better and improve the same effectively.Final ThoughtsDemonstrate unconditional love to your children at all times. Make sure to praise and support the older child for displaying positive behavior. Address negative attitudes with a thoughtful approach and teach how to give soft touches to the younger sibling without sounding critical.Take great care not to make any hurtful comments or outright ignore the older sibling. Doing so can have negative consequences on the child’s mental and emotional wellbeing.References:https://www.parents.com/baby/development/sibling-issues/how-to-help-your-firstborn-adapt-to-baby/https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/new-sibling/art-20044270https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sibling-prep.htmlhttps://www.mother.ly/child/how-to-help-firstborn-adjust-to-baby/1-teachhttps://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/preparing-your-first-born-for-a-sibling/

Are you preparing to welcome your second child? Your firstborn will have some adjustments to make when a sibling enters the scene and your guidance matters.

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Helping Kids Adjust to Siblings